Easter a time to renew — and for renewable wind energy

Easter's message of hope and new life is a universal and much-needed one throughout the world, but particularly for Marylanders this year as we celebrate the passage of the offshore wind bill by the Maryland General Assembly.

I'm filled with thanks to The Sun's reporter Tim Wheeler for covering the story over the past three years and to all of our leaders who made this hopeful decision in 2013. My thanks to Gov. Martin O'Malley, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, House Speaker Michael E. Busch, original co-sponsors Sen. Paul Pinsky and Del. Thomas Hucker as well as the Senate Finance Committee (including Baltimore City Sen. Catherine Pugh), the House Economic Matters Committee, the Legislative Black Caucus and everyone who voted for putting the wind blowing off Maryland's coasts to work for all of us.

People have asked me why a religious person has gotten all mixed up in the issues of renewable energy and the environment. I did because I believe that I am called, as all people of faith are called, to protect life — life in all its forms.

For too long, we have been getting our state's energy from sources that make our neighbors sick and disrupt our climate. We can do better than this for the sake of our children and their futures.

This spring, as Maryland's churches prepare for Easter, we have finally decided together to harness the creative power of the wind — God's creative breath which blew across the waters in the Book of Genesis.

The beginning of offshore wind power in Maryland makes me hopeful that we can all become partners with this divine energy of the work of creation and together we help to renew the face of the Earth.

It is with great interest that I read The Sun's article, "O'Malley to push for wind yet again," (Jan. 13) but I don't understand the opposition. Some opponents say wind farms would "look bad." Funny, how windmills in Holland are considered beautiful. More importantly, others like state Sen. E.J....

Recent letters commenting on wind power don't appreciate the significant benefits offshore wind power will provide — not just for Maryland but all of America. Several land-based wind energy projects are already operating in Maryland, and these projects have helped to create hundreds of jobs.